


overdose

by spacs



Series: spacs IgNoct Week 2017 [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: First Kiss, If You Squint - Freeform, M/M, Mutual Pining, Overdosing on curatives, Pining, taking care of each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-12-08 22:52:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11656338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacs/pseuds/spacs
Summary: When Noctis overdoses on curatives during the fight with the massive adamantoise, he collapses after the battle. His friends take him to Lestallum where Ignis watches over him as he must recover naturally.





	overdose

**Author's Note:**

> **For IgNoct week Day One: "Taking care of each other."**

It took a full day. More than a full day.

26 hours of non-stop fighting. Noctis kept telling himself that the gil would be worth it – especially given the amount they spent on curatives before riding a mile out to fight the adamantoise. The other three tried to reason with him on the way. They could clearly see the face of the monster from Hammerhead and they weren’t as sure that 50,000 gil would be worth the trouble. But Noctis was certain. The gil was worth it and, above all, the safety of the citizens was worth it.

He reminded himself of those facts as he downed another potion. He could feel his wounds healing – the flesh on his arm slowly piecing itself back together from where he’d cut himself on the scales – but he didn’t have time to worry about how many curatives he had actually consumed. The buzz of potions, elixirs and ethers still sitting in his chest as he swallowed the next one. He whirled around as the adamantoise lifted its head and roared; the monster was worn down and almost out of the fight. The roar shook the ground, causing the rocks to shift. Noctis lost his footing and fell, but Gladio caught him, pulling him behind a boulder where Ignis and Prompto were waiting.

Everyone had dark circles under their eyes. They were out of breath. Over the past day, they’d taken turns tapping out, moving far enough away to take a breather, grab some food. No one had been able to sleep with the shake and roars from the mountainous monster. Everyone was exhausted – but they were almost finished.

“Noct, you’ve got to take a break,” Gladio insisted, glancing up at the monster.

“He’s right, buddy. You should take a breather,” Prompto added, looking at him from across their circle with concern.

Noctis shook his head. “It’s almost over. We can beat this thing.” He turned to Ignis, leveling their eyes. “Instructions.” It was an order more than a request.

Ignis narrowed his eyes then bowed his head and touched his chin in thought. “Prompto and I can hit it from the left. Its paw has sustained many injuries and it hasn’t had a strong attack from that side in some time. You and Gladio can take the distraction as an opportunity to hit it at its weakest point—”

“Its eyes!” Prompto finished, grinning. “Noct’s right! We can finish this!”

Noctis grinned too, ignoring the way his vision blurred along the edges. He scrubbed at his eyes, trying to blink it away, and nodded. “Let’s do it. We can’t give it time to recover.”

Ignis inclined his head to the prince, glancing up to see the monster rear its head and roar again. “Be careful,” he said, looking back at Noctis as he began to move into position. Prompto smirked, clapping Gladio on the shoulder before he followed.

The two remaining looked at each other. Noct tilted his head with a smirk and said, “Think you can throw me far enough?”

Gladio returned the gesture and replied, “You bet, princess.”

They moved to a vantage point so they could see Ignis and Prompto begin their attack. Ignis’ daggers hit the weak points with precision and Prompto followed it up with multiple shots from his pistol. The adamantoise feels the pain and roars, moving its massive head to focus on its left.

“Now Gladio!” Noctis calls. He can barely hear himself over the roars.

Gladio hears him and grabs his arm, spinning to build speed before launching Noctis into the air. The prince had his and Gladio’s greatswords in both hand. He threw his forward as he felt himself lose momentum, warping to it. With a battle cry wrenching from his throat, he connected with the cheek of the adamantoise, shoving Gladio’s blade in a spot between scales. The roar of pain from the monster was deafening but Noctis focused and swung himself up, throwing his greatsword up once more, warping directly into the eye of the creature.

The adamantoise, spent, once more throws its head back, roaring as it falls hundreds of feet down. Noctis clutches onto the greatswords buried into the monster as it falls before the impact with the ground causes a dust cloud reaching far above him. He holds his breath, losing his grip of the swords and falls, weapons disappearing back into the Armiger in a flash of blue, gasping in some of the cloud before hitting the monster on his way down.

He landed on the ground and tried to cover his head as the dust cloud subsides. He reached inside his pocket and managed to drink a potion before the pain from the fall sets in and he can feel warmth spreading slowly through his body as the potion settles, mending broken bones and skin. The others call his name and he can just barely hear it over the last rumbling breath of the adamantoise.

Ignis sees him as the cloud clears, leading the pursuit to his side. He rolls Noctis over and the prince begins to cough up the dust. “Highness,” Ignis says, brushing off his clothes and hair, a worried look on his face. He puts a hand on Noct’s cheek, thumbing under a cut before the potion beats him to it, sealing the broken skin.

“We did it!” Prompto calls to him victoriously. “Nice _throw_ , big guy!” He jumps to throw an arm around Gladio’s shoulders, pulling the taller man down to his height. “That’s what I call teamwork! Let’s get our reward and _celebrate_!”

“I think sleep sounds like a good celebration,” Gladio replied, flipping his and Prompto’s positon and burying a fist into Prompto’s head. “I’m sure his _majesty_ would agree. I bet the only thing he wants now is a nap.”

Noctis chuckled from his position on the ground, turning his head to see the gaping mouth of the dead adamantoise. “I told you we could do it,” he said, smirking at Ignis.

“I never doubted your ability,” Ignis retorted, offering the prince a hand to stand. “Just your sanity.”

At that he laughed and took his advisor’s hand. “Well looks like I proved you wrong.” His breath was short and the blur returned to his eyes as he was helped to his feet, black and white spots dotting his vision. He tried to brush it off once more, blinking rapidly before looking at his other two friends. “I’m with Gladio. Although I’m thinking I’ll sleep for a few _days_.” He could still feel the potion he just drank, certain it wasn’t supposed to have this uneasy burn down his throat and in the pit of his stomach. Uncomfortably, he pressed a hand to his belly hoping the pressure would help.

“I think we would all benefit from some rest,” Ignis agreed. “There are accommodations in Hammerhead for tonight, then perhaps a trip to Lestallum for a proper bed.”

“Yes!” Prompto cheered, throwing his fists over his head in triumph. “We are sleeping like kings, ladies and gentlemen. _Kings_!”

“One of us will sleep like a king,” Gladio acknowledged, shoving Prompto’s arms out from over his head. “The rest of us are just going to sleep like the chumps that follow him into crazy fights like this.”

The group chuckled and Noctis felt a wave of exhaustion flow over him. At first he brushed it off as normal until the nausea hit. He shook his head, trying to keep it together. All of a sudden he felt dizzy and his stomach lurched. The world was spinning around him and every noise sounded like it was a mile away. He stumbled forward, his arms moving out to try and steady himself, the potion trying to force its way back up his throat. He could hear a concerned, “Highness,” from Ignis somewhere in the distance. He tried to look up at his friends but all he could make out were three blurs fading into white.

\- - -

Ignis didn’t take his eyes off of Noctis after he stood. His eyes looked hazy and Ignis could see how dark the skin around his eyes were. He was unnaturally pale for someone who had exerted as much energy as Noctis had in the past day. Something was wrong with the prince, even if he didn’t want to acknowledge it.

His suspicions were confirmed when he saw Noct’s eyes glaze over. He tried to shake it off but it caused him to stumble. “Highness,” Ignis called out to him. The worry in his voice cut off Gladio and Prompto’s laughter as they too diverted their attention Noctis. Ignis put his hands out, ready to steady Noctis if he needed it. When Noctis didn’t reply to his call he tried again, “Highness?”

Noctis lifted his head but his eyes weren’t focused on them. “Noct?” Ignis attempted to reach out to him once more but the prince’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed. Ready for this, Ignis darted out to catch him, taking Noctis’ shoulders and pulling him in. Ignis lowered him, unable to keep him upright, cradling the back of his head before resting him safely on the ground.

“Noct!?” Prompto gasped, immediately moving to the other side of his friend.

Gladio moved to stand behind Ignis, watching the scene unfold. “What the hell happened, Ignis?”

Ignis removed one of his gloves then slid it underneath Noctis’ hair to rest against his forehead. The skin was burning, more than it should be even during the heat of the day. He moved his fingers to feel for a heartbeat. Noctis’ heart was racing, pounding like he was still in danger and his breath was shallow. Ignis pursed his lips. “He’s exhausted,” he replied. “He’s running a fever and his heartrate is too high.” He lifted his hands to Noct’s face and saw the cut on his cheek had returned. “Noctis’ body is rejecting the potions he drank. I believe he overdosed on curatives in the fight – his magic has been running thin for hours now.”

Gladio crossed his arms over his chest. “I told him to go easy on those,” he said. “Tap out and let us handle things for a bit.”

“His warps could reach higher than anything we had,” Ignis said. He moved his hand to brush away the beads of sweat that were beginning on Noct’s forehead. “He knew that and chose to keep going. I told him the same, but when does he ever actually listen.”

“Is he going to be okay?” Prompto asked, concern heavy in his voice. His brows were drawn in and he kept looking worriedly between Noctis and Ignis.

“He needs time to recuperate. A few days in bed should suffice. I’m surprised he held on as long as he has.” He absentmindedly pushed Noctis’ hair back, observing the way the prince was breathing rapidly, his fingers twitching as if he were having a nightmare. “Gladio can you get him to the car? We need to get him some water and into a bed as quickly as possible.”

Gladio nodded, stooping to pull Noctis into his arms. He carried their friend carefully to the Regalia which they’d parked a safe distance away from the battle. Prompto hesitated, waiting for Ignis to stand and follow. Ignis brushed the dirt off his pants, adjusting his glasses as he fell into step beside the blond. “Is Noct going to be okay?” Prompto asked again quietly, leaning toward Ignis. His voice didn’t have the usual optimistic ring.

Ignis nodded, patting Prompto reassuringly on the shoulder. “He needs rest. I can look after him for now, though this will delay your celebration.” He smiled lightly, catching Prompto’s eye.

Prompto snorted, a bounce returning to his step. “I think we can wait until Noct is back with us.”

Gladio drove the Regalia back to Hammerhead. Ignis sat in the back seat, watching over Noctis. He wiped the sweat from the prince’s brow and attempted to keep unruly hair off his face. He monitored Noct’s heartrate, checking occasionally to see if his temperature had gone down. He waited in the car as Prompto and Gladio went to get their reward as they had decided to forgo staying in Hammerhead. Instead they would press on to Lestallum where they could have proper accommodations and necessary supplies.

“Can’t we just give him a potion or something to get him back on his feet?” Prompto asked, glancing over his shoulder to see Noct slumped in the back seat.

Gladio reached over and flicked the blond in the head. “Don’t you think he’s had enough potions?”

Prompto laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Y-yeah. Forgot,” he admitted. He looked back at Ignis. “Sorry.”

Gladio chuckled and ruffled Prompto’s hair. “Look alive, Prompto.”

As they took a turn Noctis shifted in his seat, falling onto Ignis’ shoulder. Ignis started at the sudden contact and Noct groaned in his sleep, hands twitching again like the nightmare had returned. They were about an hour outside of Lestallum, so Ignis put his arm around the prince, pulling him closer and into a more comfortable position. He moved against Ignis, burying his face into the crook of his neck. Ignis took a deep breath in through his nose and rubbed Noctis’ arm, his fever making the skin warm. He tried not to focus on Noctis’ warm breath against the sensitive skin of his neck or how his black hair tickled his cheek. He put his free arm on the side of the Regalia, pinching the bridge of his nose before readjusting his glasses.

“We’ll need to restock potions and stuff when we get there,” Prompto said, breaking the silence. “We’re completely out of elixirs and we’re running really low on potions.”

“He used all the elixirs during the battle,” Ignis replied. “With how much magic and warping he had to perform, he’s been running on fumes for hours.”

Gladio made a disapproving noise in the back of his throat. “We should’ve made him sit out and rest,” he insisted again. “He’s no good exhausted like this.”

Ignis nodded. “Agreed, but he is stubborn. What’s done is done. He will have to heal naturally now.”

When they arrived in Lestallum, Gladio carried Noctis up to the hotel with Prompto. Ignis stopped by the market and gathered ingredients for soup and herbs for medicine. He was no doctor, but he could help Noctis through something like this. Rest was the most important thing right now, but he would need to wake up for food and water. Ignis ignored the hollow feeling of worry in his stomach. Noct was going to be okay. He wasn’t just saying that to ease the others, he _knew_ Noctis would be alright but seeing him this way had every nerve in Ignis’ body on end.

With their earned gil, they rented two rooms to give Noctis time to sweat out his sickness quietly. Both Prompto and Gladio offered to watch over the prince first so that Ignis could get some sleep, but he refused. Noctis needed him now and he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep before Noct woke up. Ignis sent his other two friends off to the next room to rest. He wanted to be with Noctis more than he needed sleep.

Noct’s fever still hadn’t broken. The prince’s brow was drawn in and he was frowning in his sleep, hands and fingers still twitching. Ignis busied himself with starting the soup, listening for sounds of Noctis waking up. When he was able to eat them, Ignis had bought new ingredients for the Tenebrae desserts for Noctis. He knew that soup wasn’t preferable, but it was the best option given Noct’s current state.

Ignis left the pot on a low temperature, moving back into the bedroom to find Noctis still unconscious. In a few hours Ignis would have to wake him manually so that they could get something into his system that wasn’t a curative. He procured the waste bin from the bathroom and set it next to the bed, in case the prince got sick when he woke. He adjusted the blankets overtop of Noctis, fluffing the pillows briefly and tucking him in securely so that he would stay warm.

Ignis tried not to stare at Noct’s face while he slept. Even contorted into the look of worry, his features were still handsome. To force his gaze away, Ignis moved back into the lounge, moving one of the chairs back into the room with Noctis. He set it down next to the bed, sitting down heavily. He was fully aware of how exhausted his body was, but his mind was unable to compromise and rest – not with Noctis in this state. Someone had to watch over him, and he had long since committed himself fully to that task.

He sighed and looks around the room before reluctantly pulling out his phone. He pulled up King’s Knight and played, but it wasn’t the same without Gladio’s boasting and Prompto and Noctis’ bickering.

An hour later, Noct stirred. Ignis set his phone to the side when he saw Noctis move his head. The prince groaned and tossed an arm over his eyes. “Noct,” Ignis says gently, setting his hand slowly on his shoulder.

“What happened?” Noctis asks, his voice muffled by his arm. His words were slurred and at a higher pitch than normal.

“You collapsed after the fight,” Ignis replied, leaving his hand on Noctis’ shoulder.

“Where’re we?” Noctis peaked out from under his arm, looking tentatively around the room.

“Lestallum,” Ignis smiled when Noct’s eyes settled on him. He moved his hand to Noctis’ arm, carefully pulling him up. “Come, you need water.”

Noctis didn’t try to resist as Ignis sat him up. His head lolled as his eyes wandered, blinking slowly and unable to quite focus on anything. “’m drunk?”

Ignis snorted, picking up the glass of water on the bedside table. “That would be much easier to deal with,” he mused. “No, you’ve overdosed on curatives.” He threaded his fingers through the hair on the back of Noctis’ head, holding him softly as he tilted the glass over his lips. Some water spilled out, running down Noct’s chin but he managed to drink a few sips.

“Feels like ‘m dying,” Noctis slurred hazily, licking his lips sloppily as he tried to stop the water from trickling down his face.

Ignis smiled fondly as he set aside the glass to brush the water off his skin. “You’ll be alright,” he chuckled. “You just need to rest. I’m preparing soup for you now.”

Noctis’ lips lifted into a pleasant grin as Ignis helped him sit up, propping pillows against his back. “Always taking care of me,” he hummed, lifting his arm to wipe his mouth with his wrist.

He nodded, pushing Noct’s hair behind his ears. He pulled the skin around his eyes back to get a better look. His eyes were foggy and unfocused, pupils dilated. Noctis pulled away after a moment, blinking and squinting at Ignis. “Let me get you some soup,” he said, patting Noct briefly on the arm. “You’ll feel better after you have some food.”

Ignis returned to the soup, scooping some into a small bowl for Noctis. He doubted the prince would be able to eat very much of it and he was sure that he would have to feed Noct himself. It was better that Prompto was sharing a room with Gladio – he wouldn’t be able to resist the photo op and when Noctis returned to his senses, Ignis was sure he would’ve killed the photographer.

When he got back to the room, Noctis was halfway out of bed. “Noct,” Ignis scolded, moving forward quickly to deposit the soup on the bedside table before taking Noctis’ shoulders and sitting him back down. “You need to stay in bed,” he chastised, putting the blankets back over his legs.

“You left,” Noct whined, letting himself get tucked back in. “I had to find you.”

Ignis shook his head but couldn’t stop the way his lips pulled into a smile against his will. “I just went to get you some food,” he explained, pushing Noctis’ hair away from his face again. He had half a mind to pin it back.

Noctis reached up and patted Ignis’ hand before he pulled it away. “Food?” he asked, opening his eyes eargerly and looking around. When he saw the soup his face fell. “Just soup?”

“Just soup,” Ignis confirmed, picking up the bowl as he sat down on the side of the bed. He spooned some and held it out for Noctis who reluctantly let himself be fed. “Don’t grimace,” Ignis scolded, giving him another bite.

He managed to get Noctis to eat the entire bowl – despite his incoherent complaining that Ignis only understood parts of, but he acknowledged with hums. Nothing about this felt forced and Noct had no complaints for the fact that Ignis was feeding him like a child. It once again struck him as a positive that he roomed with Noct instead of Gladio or Prompto. He was the best equipped to help the prince and the only one that would do this without teasing – and he was unsure if Noctis would even _let_ Prompto or Gladio spoon feed him his soup.

Ignis had very few memories without Noctis, none of them good, and he was sure that Noct probably didn’t remember a time when Ignis wasn’t in his life. That pleased him, in a way. He was glad he had always been there because he always wanted to be there. Small moments like this reminded Ignis of simpler times, before they were old enough to understand what war was, when it was just the two of them.

Noctis dropped his head back against the headboard and groaned. “Ignis I don’t feel good,” he whimpered.

Ignis nodded, putting his hand against Noct’s forehead. “You’re still feverish,” he informed him before helping him drink more water. “I put herbs in the soup to help bring your fever down, but the curatives are still working their way through your system.”

“Curatives my ass,” Noctis mumbled, sliding down into the bed more.

Ignis chuckled, helping the prince with the blankets. “You’re going to be healing naturally for a few days,” he explained.

Noct whined and took Ignis’ arm, pulling him into the bed and curling around him. The advisor shook his head in amusement and settled his hands on the other man’s shoulders. “Iggy,” he drawled. “Fix me.”

“If I could, I would,” Ignis swore, patting him lightly.

The prince peaked up at him, his eyes still a bit hazy and lidded. Drunk, as Noct suggested before, would be a good way to describe him, despite the lack of alcohol. “Always taking care of me,” he repeated dreamily. “Why are you so good to me?”

Ignis tossed his head back and laughed shortly, before looking back down at Noct. “Because you’re my prince,” he replied affectionately.

Noct blinked slowly at him, his lips settling into a frown. Ignis raised his eyebrow in question and the prince pulled himself up, moving closer to Ignis’ face and dislodging the hands on his shoulders. “Is that the only reason?” he asked, his voice serious even with the slur.

Words caught in Ignis’ throat and he looked between Noct’s eyes frantically. He swallowed heavily and parted his lips to reply, but he couldn’t find the correct answer. He took a deep breath while Noct watched him, a look of curiosity and mild hurt on his features and Ignis could feel his self-control fading as he started to truly feel the fatigue from the battle.

“No,” he finally said, slowly. “You’re… a dear friend.”

The prince nodded and Ignis could see the exhaustion creeping back up. Noctis put arms around Ignis’ shoulders, lowering onto his back into bed and pulling the advisor with him. Ignis braced himself up with hands on either side of Noct’s head so he wasn’t lying chest to chest with him. “Noct,” he murmured, trying to push up gently out of the prince’s hold, but he just tightened his grip. He was weak at the moment, so Ignis could free himself, but clearly Noct was delirious and Ignis had no desire to hurt him.

“You’re always going to be with me right?” Noct asked, his eyes closed as he snuggled his head back into the pillow.

Ignis bit his lip, his brow drawn together in sympathy. Noct had lost too much since the start of a journey that was about beginnings. This reminded him of the promise Noct had asked him to make in Hammerhead the night after Insomnia’s fall and the king’s death. “Always,” he promised now as he had then.

One of the arms that was settled around Ignis’ shoulder moved to the back of his head. Fingers threaded through his hair and the advisor was only allowed a moment of confusion before Noct was pulling him forward to press their mouths together. He missed, only half of his lips landing correctly but it was enough to draw out a noise of surprise in the back of Ignis’ throat.

It froze him in place, even as the fingers in his hair twisted. Noct grunted in displeasure and readjusted his mouth to kiss Ignis properly. Self-control shattered, Ignis tilted his head and brought one of his hands up to cup Noctis’ cheek as he returned the kiss. It was lazy and half-open mouthed, tongues slowly pushing against each other before it became all lips. Noct’s teeth brushed against Ignis’ bottom lip, but he wasn’t sure if that was intentional or just an outcome of his exhaustion.

Ignis pulled away first but Noct’s eyes didn’t open. He hummed, contentedly, and his head fell fully back onto the pillow. The advisor watched him for a moment as a slow, sleepy smile crossed over Noct’s lips; then the prince’s hold around him was slacking before falling away slowly. His breaths became steady and his lips parted as he sank back down into the bed.

Baffled, Ignis pushed himself up, sitting on the side of the bed once more. He pushed a hand through his hair, scratching the back of his head where Noct’s fingers had played to try and rid himself of the feeling. He touched his lips before covering his mouth and glancing back at the sleeping man next to him.

Reaching over, Ignis brushed away the hair that was tickling Noct’s nose. He lingered there and whispered, “Please don’t remember this.”

As quickly and as quietly as he could, he exited the room. He needed rest just as badly as his friends. Prompto and Gladio would both be sleeping now, and he certainly did not have the energy to wake either of them. Heavily he sank onto the couch.

Just an hour or two – enough to forget the feeling of Noctis’ lips against his own, or the pull of impatient fingers in his hair. He sighed deeply and set his glasses down on the end table, stretching across the couch. Staring at the ceiling he tried to take steady breaths to stop the way his heart was pounding in his ears. He pinched the bridge of his nose and forced his eyes closed.

Noct was delirious. Ignis was drained.

It didn’t – it _couldn’t_ – mean anything.

No matter how much he wanted it to.

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually the first thing I ever wrote for this fandom, but I never finished it. When I saw the prompts for IgNoct week, I decided it was time for me to finish it. There is potentially more to this story, but I've yet to decide if it's something I'm going to write. I planned more - the original idea for it was going to be over twice as long. But with real life getting in the way, I wasn't able to write the rest out. I'd certainly like to, but I have other works in progress that have my attention more than this one does.
> 
> If anyone would like to see more of this fic, always let me know! I'll try to get out the rest in a second chapter when I have the time if people express interest.
> 
> In the meantime, happy IgNoct week! It's the best pairing in this fandom I will take that to my grave. I have a fic planned for almost every day this week! I appreciate all the love and support I've gotten with all the works I've posted, so this week will be my thank you for all the kudos, comments, and bookmarks! Have a great IgNoct week guys! I can't wait to read everything!


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